Million-year-old fossils found in New Zealand cave reveal lost ecosystem
7 reported
Scientists have uncovered a collection of ancient bird and frog fossils inside a cave near Waitomo on New Zealand’s North Island, dating back approximately 1 million years. The discovery, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, includes remains from 12 bird species and four frog species, offering a rare snapshot of a long-vanished ecosystem. Researchers from Flinders University and Canterbury Museum, along with volcanologists from the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington, led the study. The fossils were preserved between two layers of volcanic ash, allowing precise dating: one ash layer from about 1.55 million years ago and another from roughly 1 million years ago. The findings suggest that volcanic eruptions and climate shifts drove extinctions and reshaped New Zealand’s wildlife long before humans arrived. Among the discoveries is a newly identified parrot species, Strigops insulaborealis, a possible flying ancestor of the modern flightless kākāpō. The study indicates that approximately 33-50% of species disappeared during the million years before human settlement.
What’s reported
Fossils were found in a cave near Waitomo on New Zealand’s North Island.
The fossils are about 1 million years old, dated between two volcanic ash layers (1.55 million and 1 million years ago).
The collection includes 12 bird species and 4 frog species.
A newly identified parrot species, Strigops insulaborealis, is an ancient relative of the kākāpō.
The study estimates 33-50% of species disappeared in the million years before humans arrived.
Volcanic eruptions and climate shifts are cited as causes of extinctions.
The research was published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology.
Key figures
Associate Professor Trevor Worthy, Flinders University (lead author)
Dr. Paul Scofield, Senior Curator of Natural History at Canterbury Museum (co-author)
Joel Baker, University of Auckland (volcanologist)
Simon Barker, Victoria University of Wellington (volcanologist)
Sources: ScienceDaily
